Starting barrier



April 2, 1957 J. c. PURCELL ET AL STARTING BARRIER Filed Aug. 8. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fiji 5.

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INVENTORS. JOHN C. PURCELL. BY JOHN N. MASON.

April 2, 1957 J. c. PURCELL ET AL 2,787,247

STARTING BARRIER Filed Aug. 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS JOHN C. FURCELL.

JOHN Asa BY MM N United States Patent STARTING BARRIER John C. Purcell, New York, N. Y., and John M. Mason,

Washington, D. C., assignors to Puett Electrical Start- -ing Gate Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of California Application August 8, 1955, Serial No. 526,830

16 Claims. (Cl. 11.9-15.5)

This invention relates to a starting barrier for animals and is used at the start of a race.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an electrically operated starting barrier which simultaneously opens a plurality of doors, and which is provided with means for opening and closing the doors.

Another of the principal objects relates to the construction set forth in the preceding paragraph wherein no springs are employed during either the opening or closing of the doors.

A further object is to provide electrical means for simultaneously opening the doors and electrical means for simultaneously closing the doors.

Other objects will appear hereinafter in the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view ofa starting barrier embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail perspective view, partly broken away, showing one pair of doors and mechanism for opening and closing the same;

Figure 3 is a schematic view of the electrical circuit and parts associated therewith;

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of one of. the door operating devices and the door with parts broken away;

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a pair of doors in closed position with parts broken away;

Figure 6 is a detailview of the rod supporting mechanism, and H i Figure 7 iso view taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 5.

Various structures have been employed for the release of animals, such as horses and dogs, at the start of a race wherein either electrical or mechanical mechanism is employed to operate the pairs of doors in one direction, and spring means is used. to operate the doors in the opposite direction. Such operating mechanism is open to various objections, the principal one of which is that one or more of the springs is aptto fail during the opening movement of the gate, either due to breakage or because of the lack of strength of one or more of the springs. The present invention overcomes these and other objections by the use of positively operating means for simultaneously moving the pairs of doors to their open position for the release of the racing animals, and to their closed position when it is desired to confine the animals prior to the start of the race.

Referring to the drawings, rec indicates the starting device as a whole. The starting device is provided with a super structure indicated by the numeral 10 and partitions or sides as shown at 12. The forward ends 14 support a plurality of hinges 16. These hinges each pivotally support for swinging movement in a horizontal plane, a plurality of pairs of doors, the left one of which is indicated by the numeral 18 and the right oneof which is indicated by the numeral 26. As noted in Figures 1 and 5 these pairs of doors, when in closed position, form 2,787,247 Patented Apr. .2, 1957 Vs. When in open position, as shown in Figure 2, all of the doors are parallel, or substantially parallel, to each other. Theleft doors are each provided with a vertically projecting pintle 22 while the right door is provided with avertical projecting'pintle 24.

The super structure 10 supports a pair of horizontally mounted rods 26 and 28, one above the other. The lower rod 26 has a plurality of squared supports 30 which threadedly engage the rod by means of openings 32 and which may be held in adjusted position by headed screws 34.

Supports 30 rigidly mount links 36 having slots 38 through which pintles 22 project, as seen for instance in Figure 5. All of the right hand doors are similarly connected to the rod 28. This connecting means includes squared supports 40 having openings 42, headed screws Mglinks 46 and slots 48, the latter being engaged by the pintles 24.

Rods 26 and 28 are simultaneously operated so as to move in opposite directions by means of the solenoids A, B, B, A, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

The rods 26 and 28 are supported on the super structure by a plurality of anti-friction rollers 50. These rollers are mounted on pintles 52 that are mounted in U-shaped brackets 54 each having a foot 56 for attachment to the super structure in any suitable manner.

As noted in Figure 3, each of the magnets is of the core type solenoid having the usual windings and having a round opening for the reception of cylindrical armatures (not shown) which are rigidly attached to rod 26 or 28, so that each end of rod 26 is connected to an armature within solenoids B and A and each end of rod 28 is rigidly connected to armatures within solenoids A and B.

The circuit connections include two circuits, one connected to armatures within solenoids A and A and the other connected to armatures within solenoids B and B. Preferably two sources of electrical potential 58 and as are employed, one for each circuit.

The circuits are controlled by the double pole double throw switch 62.

Operation Assuming the animals are in their boxes or stalls and thepairs of V-shaped doors are in the position shown in Figure 1, upon operation of the switch 62 to the position to close the circuit to solenoids A, B, the lower rod will be caused to move to the left and simultaneously the upper rod will be moved to the right, to cause all of the left doors and right doors of each pair of doors to move to theposition shown in Figure 2. This simultaneously After the animals have been released the switch 62 may be moved to its disconnected position, as shown in Figure 3 where neither circuit is closed.

in order to move the doors back to their closed position, as shown in Figure 1, the switch 62 is moved to close the circuit to solenoids A and A. This will cause lower rod 26 to move to the right and the rod 28 to move to the left until the closing position is reached.

Any suitable means, not shown, may be used to temporarily retain individual pairs of doors in either their open or closed position.

The above description and drawings disclose a single embodiment of the invention, and specific language has been employed in describing the several figures. It will, nevertheless, be understood that no limitations of the scope of the invention are thereby contemplated, and that various alterations and modifications may bev made such as would occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

3 "We claim:

1. In a starting device for animal racing, comprising at least one pair of oppositely vertically pivoted doors, a pair of horizontallydisposed rods adjacent said doors, means ioperatively connecting each rod to a; door, oppositely operatingsolenoids connected tosaid rods;whereby when said solenoids are energized in unison said doors will be opened.

2. In a starting device for animal racing, comprising at least one pairof oppositely vertically pivoted doors, a pair of'horizontally disposed elongated rigid means adjacent said doors, means operatively connecting each elongated rigid means to a door, afirst pair of oppositely operating solenoids connectedtosaid elongated rigid means, whereby when said first pair of solenoids are energized in unison said doors will be opened, and a. second pair of oppositely operating solenoids connected to-said elongated rigid means whereby when said'second .pair of solenoids are operated in unison saiddoors will be closed.

3. In a starting device for-animal racing, comprising at least one pair of oppositely vertically pivoted doors,

a pair of horizontally'disposed rods adjacent said doors, 4

means operatively.connectingv each rod to a door, oppositely operating solenoids connected tosaid rods, whereby when said solenoids are energized in .unison .s-aid doors will be opened, and a separate electric circuit connected to said pair of solenoids.

4. in a starting device for animal racing, comprising at least one pair of oppositely vertically pivoted doors, a pair of horizontally disposed elongated rigid means ad jacent said doors, means operatively connecting each elongated rigid means to a door, a first pair of oppositely operating solenoids connected to said elongated rigid means, whereby when said first pair of solenoids are energized in unison, said doors will be opened, and a second pair of oppositely operating solenoids connected to said elongated rigid means, whereby when said second pair of solenoids are operated in unison said doors will be closed, and a separate electric circuit connected to each pair of solenoids.

5. In a starting device for animal racing, comprising at least one pair of oppositely vertically pivoted doors, a pair of horizontally disposed elongated rigid means adjacent said doors, means operatively connecting each elongated rigid means to a door, oppositely operating solenoids connected to said elongated-rigid means, whereby when said solenoids are energized in unison said doors will be opened.

6. In a starting device for animal racing, comprising at least one pair of oppositely vertically pivoted doors, a pair of horizontally disposed rods adjacent said doors, means operatively connecting-each rod" to a door, op-

positely operating first pair of solenoids connected to at least one pair of oppositely vertically pivoted doors, a

"pair'of horizontally disposed elongated rigid means adjacent said doors, means operatively connecting each elongated rigid means to a door, oppositely operating solenoids connected to said elongated rigid means, whereby when said solenoids are energized in unison said doors will be opened, and a separate electric circuit connected to said pair of solenoids.

8. In a starting device for animal racing, comprising at least one pair of oppositely vertically pivoted doors, a pair of horizontally disposed rods adjacent said doors, means operatively connecting each rod to a door, a first pair of oppositely operating solenoids connected to said rods, whereby when saidfirst'pair of solenoids are energized in unison said doors will be opened, and a second pair of oppositely operating solenoids connected to said rods, whereby when said second pair of solenoids are operated in unison said doors will be closed, and a separate electric circuit connected to each pair-of solenoids 9. The structure of claim 1 in which each solenoid -includes stationary windings surrounding its armature.

said armature of each solenoid being attached to one of said rods.

10. The structure of claim 2 in which each solenoid includesstationary windings surrounding itsarmature, said armature of each solenoid being attached to onecfsaid elongated rigid means.

11. The structure of claim 3 in which each solenoid includes stationary windings surrounding its armature, said armature ofcachsolenoid being attached to one ofsaid rods.

1 12. The structure'of claim 4 in which each solenoid includes stationary windings surrounding its armature, said armature of each solenoid being attached to one of said elongated rigid means.

13. The structure of claim 5 in whicheach solenoid includes stationary windings surrounding its armature,

. said armature. of-cach solenoid being attached to one, of

said elongated rigid means.

14. The structure of claim 6 in which each solenoid includes stationary windings surrounding its armature, said armature of each solenoid being attached to. one of said rods.

15. The structure of claim 7 in which each solenoid includes stationary/windings surroundingits armature, said armature ofheach solenoid being attached to one of said elongatedrigid means.

' 16'. The structure 'of claim 8 in which each solenoid includesstationary windings surrounding its armature, said armature of each solenoid being attached to one of said rods.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 599,020 Small Feb. 15, 1898 674,162 Carr May 14, 1901 2,156,043 Keen Apr. 25, 1939 2,200,504 Keen May 14, 1940 2,676,425 Bonanno Apr. 27, 1954 

